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Before the Clippers could hit the court for their highly anticipated game against the Sacr...
Before the Clippers could hit the court for their highly anticipated game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, they were faced with the absence of their crucial leader, Tyronn Lue.
(Juan Ocampo / NBAE via Getty Images)
Lue, who spoke to reporters before the game about how meaningful the contest would be, ended up not coaching in it after going home with back pain. That left Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw in charge.
Read more: Clippers open 'make-or-break' stretch of their season with win over Knicks
The game was a thriller, with Kawhi Leonard scoring on a left-handed shot as time expired to give the Clippers an important 111-110 overtime win at the Intuit Dome that keeps them in eighth place in the topsy-turvy Western Conference.
Leonard, who was wrapped up in celebration by his teammates after his winning shot, finished with 17 points and four rebounds for the Clippers (35-29). James Harden had 29 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists, and Ivica Zubac had 22 points and 14 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan led the Kings (33-30) with 31 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
It looked to be over for the Clippers when they fell into a seven-point deficit late in regulation. But Leonard was fouled while scoring with 1:40 left, allowing him to complete a three-point play. Then the Kings turned the ball over, leading to a Zubac dunk that cut the Clippers’ deficit to 97-95.
After a series of misses by both teams, Harden scored on a floater to tied the score with 11.9 seconds left. The Clippers defense stood tall, forcing Zach LaVine into a miss that sent the game into overtime tied 97-97.
The Clippers play their next three games on the road against New Orleans, Miami and Atlanta.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
